Axel, nine days
by ZakuReno
Summary: Parallel universe to Axel seven days chapter in 385/2 novel. When missing memories causes a little repeat on history. How can Axel or the new no. XIII handle the situation differently? Or will tragedy repeat its course? "We wouldn't be called Organization XIII without a 13th member, right, Axel?" The silver haired man said with a prosthetic smile plastered to his dark face.
1. negative 2

A/N: Aaaaaand i'm finally back! Sorry for the super late post. I think I've promised this fic since last year or longer. A snippet of this story was in my first Kh oneshot 'Where all hearts meet' It feels like years since I posted anything (it's just short from a year hahaha)

So this story takes place after Roxas went AWOL and is parallel to the Kingdom hearts 358/2 days novel: Axel seven days. you guys can just google it, someone posted a translation long back. PM me if you relaly can't find it though, I'll send you the link.

Without further ado enjoy and review. I'm sorry if updates will come rather slow. University did a good job killing my creativity (Y)

* * *

The redhead sighed for the umpteenth time and rolled to his side. He stared at the gigantic heart shaped moon hanging in the empty space outside his window. Or more like space that was never supposed to exist in the first place. _Just like me._

Kingdom Hearts. Can they really regain their hearts by completing it? He could only wait and see, but now that no Keyblade masters were on their side, what could Xemnas possibly do?

"How did this happen?" He repeated again and again, like a mantra that was supposed to give him a solution. It was all he could do as time passed, he had been idling since his fruitless return, yesterday.

Roxas was gone. And it was just a matter of time until the organization was going to order him, who initially failed to stop the blonde, to choose between his own life or his friend's.

The redhead snorted at the label he used to describe the blond boy. _Friends, huh? _It's always funny how he could easily mention relationships and life with the absence of the main source of those feelings.

Yet, he still couldn't explain the things that he had experienced whenever they were with or without each other's presence.

Everything seemed so perfect at one point of time...and they just grew apart. Of course they had fights in the short year that they'd known each other but they've always managed to shrug their differences aside.

It was as if an invisible force had pushed them away from each other. Or rather, pushed Roxas away.

Why? He could never think of a reason. They were nobodies, not supposed to feel, let alone change out of the blue and have random mood swings. But that was how Roxas acted all this time. He was impulsive and...and it wasn't supposed to be that way, if he never had memories of his own.

He knew he shouldn't be able to feel...but it hurts. The inside of his chest felt tight and hollow.

"An assembly is to be held in the next hour."

Axel didn't need to turn around to know whose voice it was. "My suspension can't be used as a reason for my absence?" He turned to find his azure haired friend's usual stoic face before turning around again. "I'll take that as a negative."

* * *

The room where nothing gathers felt colder than usual.

The eight member wasn't surprised when he couldn't find a comfortable position as he shifted on his cold, marble chair. He didn't even bother a glance at Xemnas who had started addressing the half empty round room.

Or the half full round room, he corrected himself. He proffered to be labeled as an optimist, than the opposite.

It wouldn't be anything concerning him. He was positive it wouldn't be this fast and that was what's eating him. What was so important that they need him here for? His head was growing hot, he was frustrated from all the thinking he had done. He felt like he had an itch, with an unidentified source. He forced himself to stop fidgeting and listened.

"By now all of you should have heard of the misfortune that has been bestowed upon us. We have just lost one of our key member."

"A real key, in fact." Luxord commented as he watched the not-so-guilt-ridden redhead who was clearly daydreaming beside him.

"Unfortunate, indeed. However, do not fret. Because I am pleased to introduce another member who has been chosen to wear the coat." Lord Xemnas smirked at the perplexed faces of half of his subordinates, especially Axel's deep frown as he finally looked up at him in disbelieve. "We wouldn't be called Organization XIII without a 13th member, right, Axel?" The silver haired man said with a prosthetic smile plastered to his dark face.

The said man bit back a growl and clenched his jaws. Roxas had just left yesterday and they had found his replacement. That shows just how much they valued him. He never cared much about the Organization's number when he added...who again?

"The new No. XIII, Alexis." A set of light footsteps resonating across the marble tiled room immediately grabbed everyone's attention to the pure white grounds below. She need not get rid of the hood that was casting a shadow over her face. It was obvious from the clicking heels and the outline of the standard, black robes that the newcomer was a woman.

Was Xemnas playing with him?This couldn't be a coincidence. But there weren't that many people with a conscience strong enough that they could actually retain their human form as a Nobody.

Nothing made sense right now. Nothing make sense these days!

The rookie pushed the hood of her robe with the back of her palms as if she was combing her hair back through her fingers and let her high ponytail out of its confinement.

The customary silence that took over as each member observed the newcomer seemed longer than usual. Axel looked with much interest at the lilac haired woman, who looked annoyed, before staring back at the empty seat straight ahead and turning back to his thoughts in defiance.

"Ooh, we got a pretty one this time." Xigbar was the first to break the silence with a sly grin.

The woman snorted, shifted her weight on her other feet before looking away for a moment, as if she was hoping that she didn't hear what she just heard. "Thanks, but sorry I'm not interested, old man." She scoffed.

"It's okay, I like feisty ones." The said old man simply glared at the other members who were snickering, especially Demyx. "Just hope she's not as fucked up as Larxene." He muttered to himself.

"Axel, you are to be in charge of her basic training."

It took a few blinks for Axel to comprehend what his superior had just said.

He should've seen this coming. "Am I the organization's nanny now-"

"That's it for today. Meeting adjourned." The dark faced man's deep voice reverberated throughout the whole room before disappearing with the speaker in a flash of black mist.

* * *

"Axel!" The highly irritated man stopped in his tracks and resisted the strong urge to scowl before turning back to the all too familiar voice he was getting more and more annoyed at theses days.

"Where are you going? You're supposed to bring the rookie around."

Axel let out a small sigh before Saix managed to close the distance between them. "Can't this wait till tomorrow?"

A frown managed to creep up to his scarred temple. "You should be glad that Xemnas didn't suspend you any longer."

"I'd rather be suspended." The redhead muttered under his breath before nonchalantly walking pass his friend. "I'll drag her around and I'm done for the day." He stated, rather than asked.


	2. Negative 1

Alexis sat on the edge of her new bed and sighed. She hunched her back after pulling the black elastic that was holding her wavy pastel hair together and shook it down to cover her face. It gave her more of a hassle during the day, but it made her feel protected from anything that might come now, that her day was over.

She let the crevices of her finger push her waist length hair back as she ran her hand through the soft strands and fell back to the hard mattress along with it. She felt emotionally exhausted even though all she did was wait for an annoyingly long time for the assembly and tour around the castle in silence.

The tour with her new redhead mentor was as pleasant as she predicted it could get. She didn't detect much willingness after seeing his reaction when Xemnas announced his new role. It wasn't awkward when both parties didn't contribute any effort to start a conversation and she wasn't as hell going to waste any of her energy when none was given from the other side. If the other party didn't bother, why should she? The world has its own rules, you take what you give and vice versa. The cycle goes on.

She had planned to get on everyone's good side until she could know them better. However, it was a different problem if there was resistance.

The lilac haired girl sighed and turned to her side, just to be greeted by the sight of the heart shaped moon outside the window. A frown instantly found her forehead and one corner of her lips curled up in contempt as a shiver crept up her spine.

Kingdom hearts is the heart of all worlds, the source of all hearts.

"_We will unite with Kingdom hearts to receive hearts of our own."_

Saix had emphasized its significance for the organization so much that it was the only thing that stood out in her memory during the briefing she was given about the organization's mission. He was speaking about it for almost twenty minute that she almost fell asleep standing.

After being found by the organization, it didn't take long before she find herself hating it with a passion, to the point of repulsion. Alexis immediately turned around when she felt a lump on her throat and difficulty to swallow.

It was a constant reminder that she was a Nobody.

What is worst than knowing that you weren't supposed to exist? She couldn't even see or feel any difference in her and she couldn't remember how she passed on in the first place. They had suddenly said that she wasn't alive anymore. Yet, she could still feel her heart beating, feel the pain in her chest when she held her breath for too long and feel the basic emotions of disgust that she has been resisting for the past few days.

Nonetheless, there the moon was, like a wound that refused to heal, when it was supposed to be a beacon of light.

For a heart that she had yet to long for.

* * *

"Since you can see that our organization is not in its best situation, I'll be honest with you that there's no time to spare. Your first mission will be with Axel. He'll be teaching you all the basics before you work with the others starting from tomorrow."

"Hmm, sucks to be you, rookie. We used to be quite lenient to newcomers." Axel yawned as he approached Alexis, who was listening to Saix' briefing in front of the window in the grey area.

"Axel." The azure haired man warned. "Depart as soon as you're ready."

"Alright, alright. No time to waste." He raised both of his hands in mock defeat before turning his attention to his new trainee. "You ready?"

"Ready or not." She shrugged indifferently.

"You better be, the boss says no time to waste!"

* * *

At this time of day, Roxas would usually be working harder than anyone else in the organization. He would be completing his mission and filling his heartless' quota for the day. Axel mused while he followed the newbie around.

He didn't want to be like this.

But his mind could never stop reminding him of a certain blonde friend. Whenever he wasn't busy with anything, which he was, most of the time now, Roxas would be his main concern.

And the rookie wasn't helping much.

The lavender haired girl was making his job way too easy. She was approaching and opening hidden treasure chest in every corners of the town before he had said anything, investigated suspicious part of town and drew conclusion without much help from him.

He didn't know whether he wasn't putting as much as he thought into the job or his expectations for a rookie has just dropped so low because of Roxas. The blonde was practically a zombie when he started.

He should give her some credit and start getting serious.

"Okay, you seem to be getting the hang of things, I don't think we have to drag this any longer. Save us the time to do better things." Axel waved his hand dismissively as he moved forward, leaving Alexis who was busy inspecting the discolored road trail behind him.

"Ever faced any heartless?"

"A couple of them." She answered to his halted back.

"There." The redhead stretched one gloved finger to a partly closed corridor. "There'll be some there, show me what you got."

"Okay?" She replied uncertainly at her mentor who wasn't moving. Was she supposed to go alone? It wasn't like she was afraid that she couldn't face a few heartless. She was just skeptical at his lack of interest in her training. Nothing unexpected though, she snarled.

Axel watched her ponytail fixed in place as she confidently walked pass him. He moved to get a better view and stretched one hand to his side as he saw her presence drawing the heartless.

He could feel the familiar warmth surrounding his hands without looking at his flaming weapon and reached out for it.

One shadow and one scarlet, no one would have a problem with that.

Or so he thought.

The rookie's back had frozen in place, her arms loosely wrapped around her sides and her hands curling into an open fist as if she was grabbing something invisible from her waist.

She was in a proper stance, but there were no sign of movements, except for the shadow that was gaining speed in front of her, fast. And the worst part was his inability to view her face right now. He should have watched her closely until the end and not let his confidence get to him.

"Goddamit, attack, Alexis!" The redhead shouted from the top of his lungs as he sprinted and held eternal flames back, ready to be thrown.

The pair watched as the shadow jumped with its claws rose high, ready to slash at any vessel in front of it and Axel stopped short when it exploded before it could reach its target. What happened? He was focusing on the heartless in fear that he needed to aim for it.

The lilac haired girl didn't waste any more time and dashed to the scarlet hovering nearby, brandishing her red sword in a flurry of movement that one would need to pay attention in order to see what was happening.

Swords, she was carrying two identical swords. Blades resembling a Japanese sword in size, probably a little more curved. The red trail that followed her movements were slabs of red element, a shade too light to be rubies, which replaced the entire back side of her swords.

Blood, was the first thought that entered his mind before he realized the design of her weapon at a closer inspection.

And a fleeting thought of how the sound of her name rolled out of his tongue.

The rookie walked back to her mentor, weapon still in both hand. It wasn't until they were one meter apart that she let her sword disappear, because honestly her new weapon was one of the little things that she had ever held pride in. She just found it cool and awesome, period.

"Good job, you almost got me there." Axel finally let out a sigh of relief before continuing. "You're quite fast, but you also need to build on your strength if you weren't holding back just now. You can RTC, return to castle and report. I'm going back a little later."

"-Do we have a designated time to RTC?" The question was almost caught in her throat. Alexis said it a little bit too fast that it sounded like a line she had practiced more than once in her mind.

"Practically no, but Saix can get pretty anal about it. Do you have anything in mind?"

"No, I'll most probably just explore. There were...a few things that caught my attention." Lies, she was saying and she suspected the redhead to know from the long pause in between her last words. She was just avoiding the moon that would haunt her whenever she was in the World That Never Was. Even her room was not free from the sight of it. "I can go back if it's bad to cross him, it's my first mission after all." She quickly added.

Axel wanted to frown at her indecisiveness but thought against it. The rookie was one odd ball. His first impression of her was feisty and ill tempered. Yet she was pretty composed when he was showing her around and now she was being out of character by asking and backing off quite easily.

He should bring her to the tower in the future, maybe get to know more about the new XIII and save the awkwardness since they're going to work together anyways. He should've made an effort yesterday, but he wasn't able to think straight enough to think for the long run. "You can do whatever you want. You can come with me if there's nothing urgent."

"Where are you going?" The lilac haired girl looked up in surprise before inquiring.

"Rewarding myself after a long day's work."

"I'm sorry they made you put up with me." Axel raised an eyebrow when he noticed annoyance in her apology.

The redhead was sure that she was bipolar by now. "Wait, what? Nah, I'm used to the job by now. You shouldn't mind at all. So, do you have anything urgent?"

Alexis suppressed a frown as she contemplated the offer. She preferred being alone if they would end up in a situation similar to yesterday, but she didn't want to be branded as cold or unsociable and the offer might not come for a second time. The rookie thought hard before giving up on the third second. So be it, he holds the responsibility of making things pleasant since he was the one who offered.

"Nope."

* * *

Alexis was glad when her mentor took charge of most of the small talks during the short hike to the clock tower, albeit a bit forced. He enquired about her previous life and enabled her to reciprocate. Even though most of his answers were quite vague and reluctant.

On the other hand, it was taking more effort for the redhead to maintain the conversation today. He was really tempted to stay silent every time their topic met a dead end like yesterday.

"Wait here." Axel said as he reached a small store in the station.

The rookie obeyed without any question and silently followed as soon as Axel came back and opened a portal.

And the view that greeted her was amazing. She would never get a view of the horizon this clear from ground level. There would always be either buildings or those trains passing back and forth.

The sunset was a blinding yellow, painting the sky around it with a lighter shade of orange before melting into a mauve purple and midnight blue of the coming twilight behind them. She could picture the landscape as a painting.

"Wow, are we allowed here?" The rookie asked. She had never been a stickler to rules. But since it was her first day, might as well act the part.

"No idea." Her mentor answered without interest before handing her a sea salt ice cream.

Alexis took the blue ice cream and followed suit as he sat, already devouring his own ice. She opted to sit at the back, a little beside him, at a safer distance from the ledge and rested her back against the wall. "Its salty…but sweet." She tilted her head after a small bite.

"It's sea salt ice cream, got it memorized?"

"It taste weird." She said in between bites, as if she was trying to figure out what exactly did she taste.

"C'mon, you're just not used to the tas-"

"Ah, shit." The lilac haired girl immediately flinched as she felt the familiar ache growing at the top of her head.

Axel peered back and chuckled at the sight of the rookie cradling her head with one hand, while the other held the blue Popsicle as if in worship. "Brain freeze sucks, huh. That's revenge from the ice cream."

"How old are you?" She snorted but immediately amended nevertheless. "I was going to say, it taste weird, in a good way."

The redhead laughed at her returning audacity, eliciting a giggle from the girl before it turned into a full-blown laughter as well.

"Hey, Axel?" She took a deep breath to steady herself and stared at her mentor's back, which was still shaking sporadically.

"Yeah?"

"Do you mind if I come here next time?"

"I mind." Axel looked back and studied the rookie's still face. She was expecting the answer, what kind of man does she think he was? Okay, he admited that the first impression he gave her must have sucked, but you don't judge a book by its cover.

"If my name was ever written on it." He added before continuing to watch the sunset.

"Thanks." He didn't have to look back to see the ghost of a smile that touched her features.


	3. Day one

The previous no. XIII, Roxas' whereabouts was found. Alexis knew that he was sort of an important member, but had never given a second thought about him. She didn't even know that he was still alive until today's assembly. It made her wonder whether the other missing members were still alive.

And what was the connection he had with her mentor. Now that she recall, Lord Xemnas was taunting him about number XIII the other day too. Was that the real reason for his anger when he was given the task to take care of her?

"Alexis, as you've heard, Axel will be busy today." Saix approached the lost looking girl in the hallway towards the grey area. A solemn looking Axel a few steps behind. "Team up with Demyx and dispatch as soon as you're ready."

"Demyx? " She tilted her head at the lack of face she could match with the name and disregarded the redhead. He was extremely quiet and she didn't like it. It wasn't hard to admit that she liked his company yesterday.

"The young blonde, he's most probably lounging with his sitar. I'm sure you can recognize him."

"Roger." She complied without another thought. She remembered Demyx from the day of her introduction, he was the one who laughed the loudest at the old man's expanse. Let's just hope that his mouth would be as loose today.

* * *

Axel could finally release a relieved sigh when he was told that his main order was to retrieve Roxas and not obliterate. He had almost lost hope when a new member was ushered as his replacement. However, he wasn't expecting what he saw.

Roxas was having fun without him.

He was expecting him to fight back, hell bent on revenge against Xemnas. Instead, there he was, having the time of his life.

Without him.

It was just a glimpse, but he had never seen Roxas laugh like that. A laugh so carefree, it was more appropriate for a boy his age than his usual laugh, which held a weight.

It was the weight of not knowing his past and how it could affect his future.

Now, he resembled more of Sora.

It was as if, he wasn't aware of a time when he wouldn't be able to laugh with his friends anymore. That would most probably be the problem. Just like the time in Castle Oblivion, the golden haired nobody princess would be able to manipulate his memory and not just erase it.

The redhead was marching to his room. He threw himself on his bed and laid on his back with his hands entwined behind his head. He had claimed to be his best friend and spent so much time together. Yet he didn't notice what the blonde was thinking whenever they saw the kids in Twilight Town. If the other Twilight town was really made from his memories, he must've had an inkling of a wish to be playing with them.

What if he had just...spilled all the secrets and join him to complete his betrayal against the organization? He was already halfway in the process after the incident in Castle Oblivion after all.

And right there and then, he was actually grateful that he wasn't suspended and had a rookie to take care of. The lack of hearts in a Nobody was often compensated by their minds ability. It made them think too much. Axel was used to it, but it was still tiring nevertheless.

Demyx had miraculously reported from his mission early, albeit with a long string of whining about the rookie's slave driving abilities. Axel couldn't help but chuckle at the lazy ass' misery. He got it coming for him.

Hence, with all the free time, he was told to give more training for Alexis. However, the girl had excused herself when it was time to RTC and he was supposed to find her first, if possible.

He could just leave her be but he was in a dire need of a distraction.

Might as well hit the tower.

* * *

The sun was in its usual position in Twilight town but it was just halfway through noon when Alexis felt a shiver crept up her spine despite the standard coat's warmth. She had come to the tower earlier to spend some spare time and was planning to hightail before her mentor could come.

However, she had that weight in her gut, fear, that Axel would just appear out of nowhere.

She felt like an intruder in this tower, especially after coaxing a few stories from Demyx. He had told her a few recollections about the boy who was previously in her position in the organization and her mentor.

Their mentor

"Jackpot." The lilac haired girl jumped at the voice even though she was half expecting it. She whipped her head to the source of the voice and was greeted by her mentor's victorious grin.

"I was going to give up if you weren't here. Hadn't had a clue where else to go." He scratched the back of his head and said sheepishly before adding. "We need to go back. Boss told me to train you. C'mon."

Axel had immediately made a move towards the portal but turned back when he heard that no one followed. He waved a hand to shut the portal before stopping the lilac haired girl who was just about to stand. "What's wrong with the organization?"

"Huh?" Alexis tilted her head, puzzled.

"Is Saix harassing you?"

"Wha-No, he's been nice. Why?"

The oddness of Saix being perceived as 'nice' only touched his thought for a moment. Even though he should've known best, that if someone else had found his current friend as nice, that meant he was already acting terrifically kind to them. And it was odd for a rookie to receive such treatment from the blue haired nobody.

"You just always seemed reluctant to return."

The rookie flinched as if she was physically exposed and suddenly seemed to find something interesting on her shoes. "I-" She hesitated a moment before looking up with a surprising defiant look. "It's nothing, it's just that I find the moon unsettling."

"The moon, you mean Kingdom Hearts? Why?" Axel stared incredulously.

"Yes, it's just weird to see a moon of that shape." She lied and added quickly, as if it would reinforce her claim. "I used to be a scholar." She didn't think anyone would buy it, but the redhead needed to, or she was doomed. He was already staring at her in disbelieve as if she was confessing a treachery against the organization.

"Just that?" The bellowing laughter from the redhead surprised her, but it looked genuine.

He didn't feel the laugh coming either. It just erupted from him like the crashing wave of the sea. It was all because of Roxas. He had become skeptical about the organization and thought that the rookie could feel it too. She was just two days old in the organization. She wouldn't have a clue.

"What?" Axel tried to catch his breath under the rookie's scrutiny. He was bent down but he could feel her glaring daggers with the lack of comprehension in the sudden situation.

"Oh man, just ignore me. I know I'm weird." Axel gasped in between words and finally clasped his mouth with one hand and waved a portal open with the other. His sides hurt and his laughter was slowly turning into a hiccup.

He needs to stop.


End file.
